New York City Passes a New Bill to Make Tampons and Pads Available to All

New York City made history on Tuesday, passing the first bill in the nation that guarantees women in public schools, shelters, and correctional facilities access to pads and tampons.

The new legislation comes on the heels of recent laws in 15 states that have abolished the "tampon tax" on menstrual products. And as recently as last week, the American Medical Association released a statement in which it outlined all the reasons why states that have yet to take action should follow suit.

In the meantime, New York City is leading the crusade to free women from shelling out for a public health imperative. No one is forcing high schoolers to pay for toilet paper, dudes!

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
ELLE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.